Afghan cop drugs colleagues, kills them as they sleep

An Afghan policeman laced food with sleeping pills and then killed nine of his colleagues as they slept Friday, a police officer reportedly said.

The attack in the eastern province of Paktika was the latest in a string of rogue shootings that has also targeted foreign forces.

Two policemen were detained after the attack in Yahya Khil district, while a third officer was missing. It was not clear if the assailant was among the pair detained, said Mukhlis Afghan, the provincial governor's spokesman.

Citing Paktika police chief Dawlat Khan Zadran, The New York Times reported that the assailant, who it named as Assadullah, put drugs in the food served Thursday night.

A series of attacks on NATO personnel by Afghan soldiers and policemen have stoked fears that the security forces have turned against their western allies, or have been infiltrated by the Taliban insurgents.

At least 16 NATO soldiers have been killed in a wave of so-called rogue attacks since January, raising questions about the ability of the Afghan forces to take over full security responsibility by 2014, when the bulk of foreign combat troops leave.